Graduates a year later

Nearly 800 people exit US physics programs each year with a master’s degree. The Statistical Research Center of the American Institute of Physics surveyed the exiting master’s recipients from the classes of 2009, 2010, and 2011 to find out what they were doing a year later.

Among US citizens, 20% pursued further graduate studies in physics at another university and 12% entered graduate programs in other fields. About 42% found new employment, and 17% returned to a former employer. By contrast, 43% of noncitizens entered PhD programs in physics, 17% pursued a higher degree in another area, and 12% joined the workforce. Leaving the country were 22% of noncitizens and 3% of citizens. And for both groups, about 6% were unemployed.

The largest fraction (44%) of master’s recipients found work in the private sector, with a median starting salary of $60 000. Another 23% went to work at colleges and universities, with a mean starting salary of $38 500. Graduates also went to work for the government (11%), as high school teachers (10%), as active military (2%), or in other areas (10%).

For the three years considered, some 34% of the exiting physics master’s recipients were not US citizens, 22% were women, the median age was 26.9, and 25% were age 30 or older.

For more details, see the report Physics & Astronomy Master’s One Year After Degree, which can be downloaded at http://www.aip.org/statistics/employment .